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Personal Computer

Personal computers can be defined as relatively inexpensive computers designed for individual use. They first appeared in the late 1970s and were popularized by Apple's Apple II computer. IBM later entered the market in 1981 with the IBM PC, which became the dominant personal computer and established the 'IBM compatible' standard. Today, personal computers are generally divided between Apple Macintoshes and PCs based on Intel microprocessors. Personal computers come in various sizes and designs, including desktop, tower, notebook, and other portable models.

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757 views

Personal Computer

Personal computers can be defined as relatively inexpensive computers designed for individual use. They first appeared in the late 1970s and were popularized by Apple's Apple II computer. IBM later entered the market in 1981 with the IBM PC, which became the dominant personal computer and established the 'IBM compatible' standard. Today, personal computers are generally divided between Apple Macintoshes and PCs based on Intel microprocessors. Personal computers come in various sizes and designs, including desktop, tower, notebook, and other portable models.

Uploaded by

Samuels
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Personal computer:

It can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an


individual user. In price, personal computers range anywhere from a few hundred
pounds to over five thousand pounds. All are based on the microprocessor technology
that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip. Businesses use personal
computers for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running
spreadsheet and database management applications. At home, the most popular use
for personal computers is for playing games and recently for surfing the Internet.

Personal computers first appeared in the late 1970s. One of the first and most popular
personal computers was the Apple II, introduced in 1977 by Apple Computer. During
the late 1970s and early 1980s, new models and competing operating systems seemed
to appear daily. Then, in 1981, IBM entered the fray with its first personal computer,
known as the IBM PC. The IBM PC quickly became the personal computer of choice,
and most other personal computer manufacturers fell by the wayside. P.C. is short for
personal computer or IBM PC. One of the few companies to survive IBM's onslaught
was Apple Computer, which remains a major player in the personal computer
marketplace. Other companies adjusted to IBM's dominance by building IBM clones,
computers that were internally almost the same as the IBM PC, but that cost less.
Because IBM clones used the same microprocessors as IBM PCs, they were capable
of running the same software. Over the years, IBM has lost much of its influence in
directing the evolution of PCs. Therefore after the release of the first PC by IBM the
term PC increasingly came to mean IBM or IBM-compatible personal computers, to
the exclusion of other types of personal computers, such as Macintoshes. In recent
years, the term PC has become more and more difficult to pin down. In general,
though, it applies to any personal computer based on an Intel microprocessor, or on an
Intel-compatible microprocessor. For nearly every other component, including the
operating system, there are several options, all of which fall under the rubric of PC

Today, the world of personal computers is basically divided between Apple


Macintoshes and PCs. The principal characteristics of personal computers are that
they are single-user systems and are based on microprocessors. However, although
personal computers are designed as single-user systems, it is common to link them
together to form a network. In terms of power, there is great variety. At the high end,
the distinction between personal computers and workstations has faded. High-end
models of the Macintosh and PC offer the same computing power and graphics
capability as low-end workstations by Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and DEC.

III, Personal Computer Types


Actual personal computers can be generally classified by size and chassis / case. The
chassis or case is the metal frame that serves as the structural support for electronic
components. Every computer system requires at least one chassis to house the circuit
boards and wiring. The chassis also contains slots for expansion boards. If you want to
insert more boards than there are slots, you will need an expansion chassis, which
provides additional slots. There are two basic flavors of chassis designs–desktop
models and tower models–but there are many variations on these two basic types.
Then come the portable computers that are computers small enough to carry. Portable
computers include notebook and subnotebook computers, hand-held computers,
palmtops, and PDAs.

Tower model

The term refers to a computer in which the power supply, motherboard, and mass
storage devices are stacked on top of each other in a cabinet. This is in contrast to
desktop models, in which these components are housed in a more compact box. The
main advantage of tower models is that there are fewer space constraints, which
makes installation of additional storage devices easier.

Desktop model

A computer designed to fit comfortably on top of a desk, typically with the monitor
sitting on top of the computer. Desktop model computers are broad and low, whereas
tower model computers are narrow and tall. Because of their shape, desktop model
computers are generally limited to three internal mass storage devices. Desktop
models designed to be very small are sometimes referred to as slimline models.

Notebook computer

An extremely lightweight personal computer. Notebook computers typically weigh


less than 6 pounds and are small enough to fit easily in a briefcase. Aside from size,
the principal difference between a notebook computer and a personal computer is the
display screen. Notebook computers use a variety of techniques, known as flat-panel
technologies, to produce a lightweight and non-bulky display screen. The quality of
notebook display screens varies considerably. In terms of computing power, modern
notebook computers are nearly equivalent to personal computers. They have the same
CPUs, memory capacity, and disk drives. However, all this power in a small package
is expensive. Notebook computers cost about twice as much as equivalent regular-
sized computers. Notebook computers come with battery packs that enable you to run
them without plugging them in. However, the batteries need to be recharged every
few hours.

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